Together Again
by AllonsyMiddleEarth
Summary: AU. When Elrond sails west and is reunited with Celebrían, he also meets someone he did not expect to see again.


Elrond stood at the head of the ship as they were nearing Valinor, gripping the railing tightly and impatiently watching the pale form of the land growing ever so slowly closer in the distance. Everyone knew how anxious he was to see Celebrían again, and no one was disturbing him.

He imagined that Celebrían knew he was to be there soon. News likely spread fairly fast in Valinor, and she would be waiting for it. Ships of elves had sailed out recently and they knew the date Elrond and Galadriel's ship had been due to leave, so it wouldn't have been hard to estimate when the ship of the three Ring Bearers would arrive.

When the ship finally was close enough to make out the shapes of elves there watching, Galadriel came to stand at his side and they both scanned the shores for her, but the crowds gathering were rather thick and they could not pick anyone out.

The ship landed and still they were searching, as they got off the ship first. A few paces into the sandy shores, Elrond finally saw her. His Celebrían. After not seeing her for so long he felt as struck by her beauty as he had been the first time they met. Her clear blue eyes were fixed on his as she now hurried towards him, her long, soft silver hair flowing behind her. He stepped clumsily towards her, her name tumbling repeatedly from his lips until he reached her and enveloped her tightly in his arms.

"Elrond..." She said softly against his neck, holding him close to her, taking in deep breaths of his familiar scent.  
The tears in his eyes were spilling over, and her hair was sticking to his wet cheeks. It had been so long. But finally his lonely years in Middle-earth after their parting were over; they were together again, and always would be. Neither of them knew how long they stayed like that, but eventually he pulled back a little, his hand cupping her face, looking into her eyes for signs to make sure she was all right.

"I am well now, Elrond." Celebrían said, covering his hand with hers, and smiling through her own tears. "I am, I truly am."

"You do look it!" Elrond said happily, and kissed her forehead gently. She smiled, then she took ahold of his face gently between her hands and pulled his lips to hers, not caring that everyone around was likey watching them. They would understand, and if they didn't, Celebrían and Elrond were both far from caring. The kiss was deep and passionate, his arms tightened around her as it intensified, until finally they slowly pulled back and looked at each other, still holding each other tightly.

"The children. How are they?" Celebrían asked after a minute, searching his face.

Elrond paused. He had premeditated and rehearsed how he would tell her of Arwen's choice, but now that the time had come, he didn't know what to say.

"Oh no…" She read the answer anyway. In his eyes now she read the same pangs she saw there, even after thousands of years had passed, whenever he mentioned Elros. "Someone has chosen mortality."

Elrond nodded almost numbly. "Arwen…"

"Oh!" Celebrían looked down; she'd known this was a possibility when she'd said her good-byes to her children before leaving Middle-earth herself. But she would grieve with Elrond later, now was a time for reunions, for being strong for him again. "How are the twins? And Arwen though, is she happy? With the choice she made?"

"The twins are well; they stayed behind with their grandfather. And Glorfindel." Elrond smiled. "He offered to stay and watch them too. And as for Arwen, I don't think she could be happier any other way." Elrond answered. "She wedded Aragorn, son of Arathorn, King of Gondor, one of the _Dúnedain_. Their love was deep and true, and yes, she was happy."

"Then so we must be, for her." Celebrían said, firmly.

"Yes…" Elrond nodded, still though, for him the pain of losing her was too near.

Celebrían tightened her hold on him, her arm around his waist and her fingers digging into the folds of his robes as they turned to face Galadriel as she approached.

When she got closer, Celebrían released Elrond for a brief moment and embraced her mother, before reaching for Elrond's hand again.

"Mother! It is good to see you. I have missed you so much these many years!"

"And we you, Celebrían, iell nin." Galadriel smiled warmly.

"Elrond, there is someone else you need to meet." Celebrían said, turning back to him, and she led a slightly bewildered Elrond to the crowd, which parted easily around them. After a few yards Celebrían stopped, and the face Elrond saw step out of the crowds made his jaw go slack in surprise.

"…Elros?" Elrond said softly, his heart racing as Celebrían let go of his hand and he took a step forward. "What, how…?"

Elros laughed and just moved forward to embrace his twin, who was almost entirely weeping at this point.

"But, I thought I would never see you again!" Elrond said. "HOW? You chose mortality?"

"I did." Elros said, nodding. "But when I reached Mandos the Valar gave me another choice, a choice that could only be given to someone whose twin was still an Elf." His eyes twinkled before becoming more serious again. "As twins, our souls are connected, even past death. So after I passed from life I was given a choice again. I had lived and died a mortal life, but if I wished, I was permitted to be sent to the Undying Lands, to join you, when you arrived. And I chose yes this time. A mortal life was the life I wanted to live, but at a second chance to see you again, I didn't refuse this time."

"I never imagined this," Elrond said, composing himself better now, but still with tears in his eyes, he embraced Elros again. "I can't believe you are here, I thought we had said good-bye for all eternity, I never imagined we would be so lucky!"**  
**  
"We have got an eternity here, you'll get sick of me soon enough!" Elros laughed.

"Never." Elrond said, smiling. He turned back to Celebrían and put an arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her silver hair, not willing to let go of her any longer.

"Wait, and your wife?" Elrond asked his brother.

"She's here too." He said, gesturing toward the direction in which they lived. "Her soul was connected with mine as well through our bond, and she was given this same choice by the Valar, though none of the rest of our line was, they were all to remain purely mortal." He grimaced slightly; everyone present knew the story of that all too well. "Anyway, when Celebrían got here we quickly became good friends." Elros continued, and Celebrían smiled at him.

"We were missing someone in common." Celebrían said, tightening her arm around Elrond's waist again. "And he helped me a lot when I first came here; I needed it."

Galadriel walked up behind them, returning from her own greetings, and her eyes widened. "Elros." She said in surprise; she had never met him, but his resemblance to Elrond was unmistakable. She looked from Celebrían to Elrond in confusion.

"'Tis a long story, Mother, one I shall tell you later." Celebrían said.

"Lady Galadriel!" Elros bowed. "It is good to meet you!"

"As it is you." She smiled politely. Celebrían took her arm with the one of hers that wasn't occupied by Elrond.

"Come! There is a welcome feast prepared for all of you, and many more faces worth meeting!" She began to lead the way off the shores. The four of them walked together, and Elrond glanced back at the company following him. Many of the Rivendell Elves had come, including ones closer to him, Erestor, and Lindir. Gandalf of course, the third Ring Bearer, was there, along with the Hobbits Bilbo and Frodo, and the company of Elves from Lorien that hadn't stayed behind with Celeborn. Elrond turned back ahead and smiled, walking between his brother and his wife. He already felt his worries from his long years in Middle-Earth beginning to fade. Arwen had made her choice, and he would always miss her deeply, but she was happy. He had Celebrían back, he had Elros again, and soon enough he felt his sons would be likely to join him and leave Middle-Earth as well (along with their grandfather Celeborn, and Glorfindel,) once they were done looking out for their sister.

After all the losses he had suffered in Middle-Earth, Elrond had made it here at last and finally, for the first time in a very long time, he felt complete.


End file.
